Doctors are calling for stricter monitoring of prescriptions after it was revealed pharmaceutical drugs played a role in nearly 80 per cent of overdose deaths in Victoria last year.

Key points:

Prescription drugs more often associated with fatal overdoses than illicit drugs

Doctors say Government has put prescription monitoring system in too-hard basket

Heroin most deadly illicit drug in Victoria in 2015

The latest data from the Victorian Coroner's Court, which was released with coronial findings into the death of Frank Edward Frood, showed pharmaceutical drugs contributed to 330 of the state's 420 overdose deaths in 2015.

Illicit drugs were involved in 217 deaths, while alcohol was involved in 97.

AMA Victoria president Dr Tony Bartone said a real-time prescription monitoring system would save lives but the Victorian Government had put it in the "too hard basket".

"IT projects have stalled or floundered and this is probably another example where it's stalled over time," he said.

"We have a commitment, we need to proceed with it as soon as possible."

Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association spokesman Sam Biondo said the figures were alarming.

"Just consider these figures multiplied over the last 10 years," he said.

"We're talking thousands and thousands of individuals — multiply that across the nation [and] we're talking national catastrophe.

"I see nothing happening on the ground."

Benzodiazepines such as diazepam — commonly known as Valium — were the drugs most frequently contributing to overdose.

They were involved in 220 of the 420 deaths in 2015.

Opioid analgesics such as codeine and methadone, a drug similar to heroin that is prescribed to addicts, were involved in 183 deaths in 2015.

The deadliest illicit drug was heroin, which contributed to 168 deaths in 2015.

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